Birds in South Dakota in February: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in South Dakota in February in our iNaturalist sample; 0 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in February

Bald Eagle66 obs.

Common Goldeneye39 obs.

Common Merganser36 obs.

Canada Goose34 obs.

Mallard27 obs.

Downy Woodpecker27 obs.

Rough-legged Hawk23 obs.

Redhead19 obs.

Northern Cardinal19 obs.

House Finch19 obs.

American Robin18 obs.

Hooded Merganser17 obs.

All birds seen in South Dakota in February

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	66	Jan (past peak)
2	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	39	Jan (past peak)
3	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	36	Dec (rising)
4	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	34	Apr (rising)
5	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	27	May (rising)
6	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	27	May (rising)
7	Rough-legged Hawk	Buteo lagopus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	23	Jan (past peak)
8	Redhead	Aythya americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	19	Mar (rising)
9	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	19	Apr (rising)
10	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	19	May (rising)
11	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	18	Jun (rising)
12	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	17	Mar (rising)
13	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	17	Oct (rising)
14	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	17	Jul (rising)
15	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	17	Jan (past peak)
16	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	17	Jun (rising)
17	Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	15	Apr (rising)
18	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	15	Jul (rising)
19	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	13	May (rising)
20	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	13	Sep (rising)
21	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	13	Mar (rising)
22	Cedar Waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Waxwings	12	Jul (rising)
23	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	12	Jun (rising)
24	Great Horned Owl	Bubo virginianus	Typical Owls	12	May (rising)
25	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	11	Apr (rising)
26	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	10	Apr (rising)
27	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	10	Aug (rising)
28	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	10	Apr (rising)
29	Horned Lark	Eremophila alpestris	Larks	10	Jun (rising)
30	Wild Turkey	Meleagris gallopavo	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	9	May (rising)
31	Sharp-shinned Hawk	Accipiter striatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	9	Jan (past peak)
32	Red Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	9	Jul (rising)
33	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	9	Jun (rising)
34	Purple Finch	Haemorhous purpureus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	9	Dec (rising)
35	Ring-necked Pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies	8	Apr (rising)
36	Eurasian Collared-Dove	Streptopelia decaocto	Pigeons and Doves	8	Apr (rising)
37	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	8	Apr (rising)
38	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	8	May (rising)
39	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	8	Mar (rising)
40	Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	7	Jul (rising)
41	Ferruginous Hawk	Buteo regalis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	7	Sep (rising)
42	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	7	May (rising)
43	Townsend's Solitaire	Myadestes townsendi	Thrushes	7	Jun (rising)
44	Northern Shrike	Lanius borealis	Shrikes	7	Nov (rising)
45	Trumpeter Swan	Cygnus buccinator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	Mar (rising)
46	Northern Pintail	Anas acuta	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	Apr (rising)
47	Green-winged Teal	Anas crecca	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	Apr (rising)
48	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	Mar (rising)
49	Snowy Owl	Bubo scandiacus	Typical Owls	6	Dec (rising)
50	Gadwall	Mareca strepera	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	6	Apr (rising)

Birds Seen in South Dakota in February

Top birds in February

All birds seen in South Dakota in February